§ Mr. WyattTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will prohibit the use of PVC waste for synthetic riding surfaces and its importation for such purposes. [61485]
§ Mr. MealeThe import and export of waste are governed by European Council Regulation (EEC) No. 259–93, the 'waste shipments' Regulation. PVC is included on the Regulation's Green list of wastes which do not require prior authorisation when traded for recovery, providing they are not contaminated with hazardous substances. There is no evidence that either clean, uncontaminated PVC waste or recovered PVC products are harmful to human health or the environment. There are therefore currently no plans to prohibit the import of such waste or products recovered from it.